A deconstruction of the Spiceologist Block brand

Deconstructing the spiceologist block

As a child I enjoyed deconstructing toys to figure out what they looked like. I once visited a friend’s house and enticed him to take apart his electronic toys. We weren’t able to put them back together, and his parents became very angry with me. From that day on I never dissembled another toy, and I understood that I was not gifted in engineering. As an adult I still deconstruct and reassemble things, but they tend to be less tangible… like brands.

A few days ago I was doing my rounds at Kickstarter, and came across the Spiceologist Block. I did what I often tend do. I began deconstructing their potential benefits. Watch the video for yourself, and share my thoughts.

I think they have done a great job with their presentation, and I can really appreciate the way they clearly link their product attributes and features to both tangible and intangible benefits. I have summarized my deconstruction in an infographic, and will simply highlight a few things.

The customer-centric brand model

A model is simply a model, but I have used my own brand model to take on the customer view. Rather than defining how brands can use people, it looks at how people can use brands. In this regard it is customer centric, and applies flipped thinking. The customer-centric brand model is more interested in how people can position their selves, than the positioning of the brand itself. It is also more interested in how people can use a brand to connect with others, than establishing relations with the brand itself.

Does that mean that classic positioning and brand relationship building is obsolete? No, but the customer-centric brand model is the missing half of what companies traditionally do. It brings in the best of anthropology and consumer culture theory to compliment what already is there. It is the logical step in a time when people are banding together to take a more active role in the marketplace.

How the spiceologist block can help people do

The spiceologist block can help people collect and organize their spices on the kitchen counter. This is cleverly accentuated by it’s design that bears resemblance of a knife block. It literally brings spices out of the closet, and makes them more readily available while cooking. It also becomes a distinct showcase for who you want to become, and belong to.

How the spiceologist block can help people become

We all recognize how cooking is used to express our love for our family, and care for our guests. In recent years many homes have been remodeled to make the kitchen a more centred and open space. The fact that it’s made in the USA by a home cook blogger, local spice company and wood artisan, as well as handcrafted, can mean many things, but it can certainly be used to accentuate many of the values and meaning associated with home cooking.

Beyond the obvious it’s interesting how the design can associate with an artist’s palette and the tubes of a scientist. People can use the Spiceologist Block to express their passion for cooking by collecting spices and experimenting with them – like artists and scientists.

How the spiceologist block can help people belong

We have already touched upon how the spiceologist block can help people reaffirm their bonds to their family and friends. Buying, using, and sharing stories about the product, can also help people reinforce and establish links to different tribes. It can be used to express a belonging to the Savorx and Kickstarter tribes, as well as the tribe that convenes around Heather’s own blog. In the long run the largest potential for product growth will be with the infamously large home cooking gourmet tribe.

A question to my visitors and readers: Do you want to see more brand deconstructions like this in the future?

We weren’t able to put them back together, and his parents became very
angry with me. From that day on I never dissembled another toy, and I
understood that I was not gifted in engineering. As an adult I still
deconstruct and reassemble things, but they tend to be less tangible…
like brands